Week 16: A visit from Herc and Donation Drop-Off (Round 1)!!

What an incredible week for Project R.E.A.C.H. students!

On Monday, December 16, we had two AMAZING guests, Ms. Terry and Hercules, who are both animal advocates who stand up to animal cruelty.

They even have their own Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HerculesWings

 If you don't know Hercules' story, Herc was the victim of abuse and cruelty, nearly starved to death, kept in inhumane conditions, and was injured by his previous owner. He was found in a basement in Deptford township, NJ, weighing a mere 38 pounds.

Herc's recovery is ongoing, over a year later, but thanks to the caring folks at NJSPCA, Gloucester County Animal shelter, the staff at Delaware Valley Animal Hospital, and more importantly, the tender loving care of his adoptive mom, Ms. Terry, Hercules is playful, loving, and has a wonderful life ahead of him. Although he is timid and untrusting of humans when he first meets them (due to the way he was treated by unkind humans), Hercules loves everyone and once he knows you won't hurt him, you've found yourself a new best friend! Now, Hercules attends events and visits schools to tell his story and to spread awareness about animals in need and the importance of standing up to animal cruelty.

To prepare for the arrival of our special guests, the students designed questions that could be asked after Ms. Terry's presentation. There was a lot of interest in Herc's "favorite" things, his costumes (he is a very well dressed furry family member) :), and other information about adoption and the conditions he had to face. Ms. Terry then brought Hercules around to meet all of the R.E.A.C.H.ers. Ms. Terry explained that we were all helping Hercules by meeting him, petting him, and caring for him, because that socialization helps with his recovery and to help him understand that not all humans are untrustworthy and mean-hearted.

It was awesome to be able for the students to meet Ms. Terry, who is an amazing human being and a fantastic role model, as well as a wonderful mom to Hercules. She reminded us that we all can help animals in need and it doesn't matter how old you are-we can all help! :)

I can't thank Ms. Terry and Hercules enough for taking time to visit Daretown School and share their story with Project R.E.A.C.H. It was an awesome experience and we were sad to see them go!

Additionally, this week wrapped up our "Bow Wow and Meow Holiday Giving Drive," as well as our "Warm and Fuzzy Towel and Blanket Drive." All I can say is-WOW! We are so very thankful for all of the kind-hearted people who donated to our drive to benefit animals in need!! Mr. Sears and I dropped off R.E.A.C.H.'s first set of donations to Salem County Humane Society on Friday, December 20th.

Leashes, collars, cleaning supplies, food, treats, and other donations were piled up in our classroom!! What an amazing feeling!!

Here's another angle to check out the massive amount of donations received....and that wasn't everything! 

Here was a poster the students made and signed to give to the Salem County Humane Society.

The donations were so very appreciated and will certainly be put to great use at the Salem County Humane Society. :)

Over the next few days, I will be taking the remainder of the donations to other local shelters and will post about them as well!! :) I have to say, I am brought to tears by the kindness and compassion exhibited by the many donors and R.E.A.C.H. supporters, all of whom believe so deeply in the work my students are doing. The spirit of giving is something so uplifting and empowering and I thank each and everyone of you for providing my students with the opportunity to experience it.

I thank each and every one of you for believing that together, we can all make a difference.

Week 14 and 15: Backdrops, Donations, and Holiday Cheer!

Week 14's Project R.E.A.C.H. focus was determining elements that the students wanted to go into the backdrop that we were asked to create to help Salem County Humane Society. Students scoured the internet for inspiration and images that could be used to design the backdrop. Once we all agreed on the perfect combination of elements, several students from different groups volunteered to trace the designs off of the Promethean Board, including Brett and Laquan. Students from Group 4, including Eugene, Tyler, and Dee Dee outlined the pencil tracings in black marker so the drawings could be easily traced onto the white sheet that was being used for the backdrop. After that, the students taped the papers onto the floor using masking tape so the design could be traced in pencil to make it easy to stay in the lines when the students began painting in Week 15. Dee Dee's attention to detail and steady hand were very useful when it came to tracing onto the sheet! :)

The sketch of the designed was traced on paper using the Promethean Board, and then was outlined in black marker and was taped on the floor. We put the sheet over top of the paper and traced it in pencil. This collage was designed by Dee Dee.

Week 15 was full of crazy winter weather. Hopefully you all were warm and safe where ever the week took you.  This week, Project R.E.A.C.H. students spent some time painting the backdrop. We had a great time and the students all took their painting very seriously.

The beginning stages of painting...and when we realized we didn't have enough of the green paint we wanted! Oops! :)

Students from each group took turns painting and helped to improve the details included on the backdrop, including outlining different elements in black to make them "pop," adding googly eyes, cotton balls (for hats), and ribbons. Our only trouble was finding a few extra bottles of green paint for our tree, but thankfully Mr. Sears came to the rescue! :)

I am very proud of each and every one of the students, who all worked so very hard (on top of all their other class work) to make this become a reality. I'm sure that this backdrop will be one that the Salem County Humane Society will treasure for many years to come. :)

I also want to note that during Week 14, we also received a number of generous donations from our supporters, including Ms. Carty, who donated kitty food, towels, and other awesome things for animals in need! During Week 15, Finally Home Farm, a wonderful rescue based in Williamstown, New Jersey, donated cases and cases and cases of wet dog food for us to use as donations. They have a Facebook page, too. https://www.facebook.com/FinallyHomeFarm  Please check them out and give them a "like," as well as any support you can give.

We are so thankful.  Thank you so much to each and every person who have given so selflessly to support our "Bow Wow and Meow Holiday Giving Drive" and our "Warm and Fuzzy Towel and Blanket Drive." Don't forget: we are accepting donations until next Friday, December 20, 2013! :)

Week 13 Wrap Up and Many Thanks to be Given! :)

        Even though it was a short week, Week 13 was full of fun and activities to give back to animals in our community. As we were continuing to work on different fundraising activities and advertising for our "Bow-Wow and Meow Holiday Giving Drive" as well as our "Warm and Fuzzy Towel and Blanket" Drive, we also took on another great project to benefit the Salem County Humane Society: designing a backdrop for the Humane Society's upcoming Pictures with Santa fundraiser. We decided on the elements to include in the backdrop from brainstorming and picture searching using the internet. We have sketched the drawing out using our Promethean Board, large white paper, pencils, and black marker. It will help us to transfer the image onto the fabric we are using for the design before we paint it. We will post pictures as we near completion of the backdrop! :)

         

       Also,  I had the pleasure on Tuesday, November 26, 2013 of meeting with the Board of Education members of the Salem County Special Services School District to share with them the awesome progress that we've been making with Project R.E.A.C.H. How exciting! 

       

       On behalf of my students and I, we all hope that you had a joyful and relaxing holiday. Although it is past Thanksgiving, I believe that every day we should give thanks to the wonderful people in our lives. I want to take some time to thank each and every one of our supporters who have worked so hard to spread the word about what we are doing, to help us with supplies and donations, and who are such amazing people. I can not say thank you enough for the overwhelming amount of support for this initiative, for my students, and for animals in need. It's hard to believe that less than 6 months ago, Project R.E.A.C.H. was born. Thank YOU all for believing in us. :)

       Also, just a reminder that we will be collecting donations to benefit animals in need until Friday, December 20th! If you are out and about shopping, or are simply doing some holiday cleaning, please consider making a donation to help our furry friends! 

Week 11 & 12 Wrap-Up: Busy, Busy, BUSY! :)

Week 11

I know this is a much anticipated update! Last Friday, on November 15th, we had the opportunity and privilege of visiting the Salem County Humane Society. We were SO excited!! :) Thankfully the weather was cooperative, which we were very grateful for, since we had a lot of things to do both outside and inside.

When we arrived, we met Mrs. Connie Waller, a member of the SCHS's Board and a dedicated volunteer. Mrs. Waller took us to visit the kennels and explained to the students that the SCHS is hoping to expand to make even better accommodations for the animals. We saw many different dogs looking for homes, most of which were familiar to all of us, as we've been sharing their pictures and information on our Facebook page. 

Skipper

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/27516937/

Teddy

Bon Bon

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/26698457/

Stormie

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/13692339/

Dixie

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/27669576/ 

Gracie

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/27516759/

Little Buddy
Bella (We didn't get to see Bella because she went into a foster home for the weekend. We just missed her!)
Tyson (He was not out in the kennels, but we hope he finds his forever soon.)
Eve

Everyone was barking and so excited to see us! We listened to Mrs. Waller intently and asked questions about the dogs and about the facility.

We then went inside to meet the kitties and see the rest of the facilities. I think it was kitty relaxation time because when we arrived, most kitties were quietly laying in their basket or hiding spot of choice and were enjoying the relaxing sounds of some easy listening music. However, they were certainly interested with the large influx of students and teachers. We had to be careful to keep all of the kitties inside by moving into the room quickly and making sure the doors were all properly shut. We met the adult cats, and then the senior cats, and the kittens, all of whom have their rooms! They are all so sweet, and are so deserving of a loving home. 

Salem County Humane Society currently hosts over 60 adoptable cats. They are currently running a promotion with cats and kittens. The adoption fee will be waived when the adoptive home applies, passes a vet check, and a house check. That means you can have a new kitty family member for FREE, once you complete the adoption process, which is meant to make sure that the animals all go to the best, most loving homes.

You can check out their website here: www.salemcountyhumanesociety.org 

You can check out their Facebook page here:

 https://www.facebook.com/SalemCountyHumaneSociety 
You can check out their Petfinder page here:
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NJ58.html

Next, it was time for us to get to work!! :) As we were split into three groups, each group had a lead teacher who guided them to each of the following stations: the Decorations, the Mural Sketch, and the PSA Materials. Each of the students had a packet to keep track of their efforts and the directions for each station.

The Decorations station was focused on making the cattery area festive and ready for the holiday season. The students hung window clings and other decorations. They also designed puzzle pieces and a wish for the animals.

DECORATIONS STATION

Materials needed:

Tape, Window clings, hanging decorations, Puzzle Piece Shapes, Markers, Stars, Glue Stick, Project R.E.A.C.H. wishes for the shelter animals.

Activity 1: Hang 2 ½ sheets of winter/holiday window clings.

Activity 2: Hang 1 package of the hanging decorations.

Activity 3: Puzzle Piece Design

Directions: Pick up a puzzle piece shape. On your chosen puzzle piece, you must complete the following activity:

Using words, drawings, sentences, poems, etc., share

•     why you love animals,
•      why you think people should choose to adopt,
•        why you like helping animals,
•         and/or how we can all help animals in need.
•      Make sure your puzzle piece is neat, colorful, and thoughtful.
•      Put your first name on the back of the puzzle piece.

Activity #4: Wish for the animals

Directions:

•     Select a star.
•     Write a wish for all of the shelter animals or a favorite shelter animal. Samples of prompt starters are below e.g. “I wish that…” “I hope that…” “My wish is…” “I believe that…”
•     Students can color and draw on the star as they see fit.
•     They will then glue their star onto the Project R.E.A.C.H. poster board.

At the mural sketch station, the students came outside, near the area on the side of the building where the SCHS has asked us to design a mural for them! The students had some time to study the area and brainstorm ideas for what they'd like to see incorporated into the mural, as well as to provide each other with feedback about the mural sketch.

MURAL SKETCH/ BRAINSTORMING STATION

Materials needed:

R.E.A.C.H. Trip Packet (Mural Sketch Page), notebooks, pencils.

Directions:

·       Look at space on building where the mural will be set.

·       Begin brainstorming process.

·       Start sketching your ideas and taking notes about what you think you’d like on the mural.

·       Pass your sketch to your peers and take their sketches.

·       Look over each others’ sketches and brainstorms.

·       On the back of the sketch page, leave two compliments and one polite suggestion of something your peer could add to his or her sketch.

·       Review the responses and make notes of adjustments you would like to make.

As the students are developing public service announcements about adoption, the perfect place to get information about adoption was straight from the Humane Society. The students had the opportunity to meet and learn about several dogs and were able to gather pictures and video that will be useful for their public service announcements. 

The students discussed the importance of spaying and neutering, and why it is so important to opt to adopt. Mrs. Waller informed the students that adoption fees for the animals are as follows:

$100.00 for dogs/ puppies
$ 75.00 for cats/ kittens

The animals all come home with you up to date on shots and vetting and are spayed or neutered. The lasting love and friendship you develop with your furry family member is PRICELESS. Thanks to Mrs. Waller, the students gathered a lot of great information to use in their PSAs.

                        PSA MATERIALS STATION

Materials needed:

R.E.A.C.H. Trip Packet (PSA Page), camera with video capabilities/ Mrs. Sears’ phone, notebooks, pencils.

Directions:

·       Brainstorm ideas for slogans, music, and words/ phrases to be used in PSA with peers.

·       Capture pictures and video that will be useful for your PSA.

·       Explain pictures/ video you took and on what device they are located on your PSA Page. 

The students visited each of the stations and worked very hard! I am so proud of their efforts. By the time we got on the bus to go back to Daretown, we were all very (happily) tired and spent the twenty minute drive quiet and reflecting on our afternoon at the SCHS. 

We can't begin to thank Mrs. Waller and all of the wonderful volunteers enough for all of the love and care they give to the animals in need. We are so thankful and happy that we were able to spend time with the animals that we are trying to help and we can't wait to go back. 

Week 12 (November 18th-November 22)

We spent a lot of time this week focused on developing posters and pamphlets and fundraising crafts for the months ahead. You may notice in the pictures that we are using the ribbon that Ms. Halscheid donated to us to hang our perler bead ornaments. Thank you so very much, Ms. Halscheid.

Our craft fundraising drives will be coming soon!!

You may have seen this week's posts about our "Bow-Wow and Meow Holiday Giving Drive" and our "Warm and Fuzzy Towel and Blanket Drive." These two drives are going on from now until Friday, December 20th!  We've already received many wonderfully generous donations, but we are hoping to receive even more donations to help animals in need. You can help, and there is no donation that is not appreciated or that is too small. If you have any questions, or would like to help, please contact us.

Also, I want to give a special thank you to Mr and Mrs. Raymond for their generous donation to Project R.E.A.C.H.'s two drives. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in us, and for helping the animals in need!!

We've also been asked by the Salem County Humane Society to develop a holiday backdrop for an upcoming fundraiser that they will be doing to raise funds for the SCHS. WOW! What an honor. We have been brainstorming some great ideas and are looking forward to designing and painting the backdrop next week. Stay tuned for more updates soon!


Thank you for your support. :)

-Jessica Sears

"Warm and Fuzzy" Towel and Blanket Drive

“Warm and Fuzzy” Towel And Blanket Drive

November 12^th 2013 - December 20^th 2013

This year we are working to donate blankets and towels to animals shelters in need. One of our first efforts to give back to the animals in need is to collect blankets and towels to help keep the animals clean and warm throughout the winter. If you happen to have any excess towels, blankets, washcloths, or sheets that you do not need or are taking up space in your house, please consider donating them to us to distribute to local shelter pets.

If you have any donations, you can simply drop them off to Mrs. Sears' room! Also, the students will be participating in other fundraisers and drives coming up in the months ahead.

                             

                Thanks so much! 

Warm and Fuzzy Towel and Blanket Drive

             

     Warm and Fuzzy    Towel and Blanket

           Drive

Project R.E.A.C.H. is asking you to donate blankets, towels, or any other type of materials to keep animals clean and warm for the cold winter ahead. Please consider donating them to Project R.E.A.C.H. so we can help keep animals warm. We are collecting for this drive until 12/20/13. 

Thank You.

Project R.E.A.C.H.'s Donation Drive

Bow-wow and Meow Holiday Giving Drive

 Project R.E.A.C.H

Project R.E.A.C.H is asking you to spread your cheer to our fur-friends at Salem County Humane Society by making a donation.

Your donation can be dropped off at Daretown School, can be picked up from your location, or can be arranged with Jessica Sears.

Supplies needed for cats include:	Supplies needed for dogs include:	Supplies needed for shelter include:
Canned and dry cat food  Canned kitchen food Cat treats Scoop able cat liter Litter boxes Cat beds Cat carriers	Canned and dry dog food Dog treats Dog leaches Dog collars Dog beds Pooper scoopers	Bleach Lysol Paper Towels Trash Bags Flea medicines Bath supplies Dish soap

"Bow-Wow and Meow" Holiday Giving Drive & "Warm & Fuzzy" Towel and Blanket Drive

It's time to CELEBRATE! Today we received our first donation for our "Bow-Wow and Meow" Holiday Giving Drive (NOW-until December 20th). Remember, we also have our "Warm & Fuzzy" Towel and Blanket Drive going on NOW, as well! No donation istoo small and they all mean a lot to Project REACH and the animals in need.

Our first donation came from Daretown School's wonderful Secondary Science teacher, Ms. Redkoles. Ms. Redkoles donated some treats for the kitties, a bottle of bleach to help keep the shelter nice and clean, and flea/tick medicine for the pups! WOW! Thank you so very much, Ms. Redkoles♥

Here are some thank you messages from each of the groups!

Group 1: "Thank you , Ms. Redkoles, so much for these donations. They will be appreciated by the dogs and cats."
Group 2: "Thank you for your donations for the animals, Ms. Redkoles."
Group 3: "Thank you so much for your donations for the animals. They will be put to good use and we are very thankful."
Group 4: "Thank you very much for your donation, Ms. Redkoles!"

Need more details about these drives? Check out the information below.

                     Bow-Wow and Meow Holiday Giving Drive

                           November 12^th-December 20^th

No matter what holiday you celebrate (or even if you don’t celebrate holidays), we all know the importance of giving and of spreading kindness. That’s why Project R.E.A.C.H. is asking you to spread your cheer to our fur-riends at Salem County Humane Society by making a donation. Your donation can be dropped off at Daretown School, can be picked up from your location, or can be arranged with Jessica Sears.

      Supplies that are needed include:

Cats	Dogs	General
o       Canned and dry cat food o       Canned kitten food o       Kitten milk o       Cat treats o       Scoopable Cat litter o       Litter Boxes o       Cat beds o       Cat carriers	o       Canned and dry dog food (4Health from Tractor Supply Co. and other brands will be donated to other shelters) o       Dog treats o       Dog Leashes o       Dog collars o       Dog Beds o       Pooper Scoopers	o       Bleach o       Lysol o       Paper Towels o       Trash Bags o       Flea Medicines o       Bath supplies o       Dish Soap

“WARM AND FUZZY” TOWEL AND BLANKET DRIVE

November 12^th-December 20^th

Hi Everyone!

            We are working to donate blankets and towels to animal shelters in need. One of our first efforts to give back to the animals in need is to collect blankets and towels to help keep them clean and warm throughout the winter. If you happen to have any towels, washcloths, blankets, or sheets that you don’t need or are taking up space in your house, please consider donating them to us to distribute to local shelter pets.

             If you have any donations, you can simply drop them off to my room! J Also, the students will be participating in other fundraisers and drives coming up in the months ahead! J

                                                                        Thanks so much!

Week 10 Wrap Up: 'Tis the Season for Giving (and CRAFTING)

Because of the NJEA convention, we only had three days of school last week, which meant we had a lot of things to do and only a little time to do it in! :) That's okay, though, because we work well together. It was a very important week for Project R.E.A.C.H., because on top of all of our other classwork, we also had to review our upcoming fundraising and donation drives and determine team leaders for each initiative.

The students each chose the top five initiatives that they wanted to contribute their skills to, and those who liked all of the activities will play an even bigger role in making the drives and fundraisers run smoothly.

Here are our plans for upcoming donation and fundraising drives: (More details, advertisements, and information will be forthcoming)

Donation Drives: 

• Bow-Wow and Meow Holiday Giving Drive: From now until Friday, December 20, 2013, we will be collecting donations for the Salem County Humane Society, and if we can, for other local shelters.

• "Warm and Fuzzy" Towel and Blanket Drive: From now until Friday, December 20, 2013, we will be collected unwanted, gently used towels, blankets, and sheets to warm homeless animals in local shelters.

                        

Fundraisers to Benefit Animals:

• Bake Sales: We will be making treats for a bake sale that Salem County Humane Society will be having at the Tractor Supply Company in Woodstown on Christmas Eve. We are also likely going to be having our own bake sale in the spring! :)
• Customized Bandannas: The students will be customizing Bandannas to both use as fundraisers and to donate to animals to help them get adopted!
• Perler Beads Figurines:The students are making perler beads figurines, possibly into both ornaments and/or magnets and will be selling them to donate the funds raised to the SCHS.
• Ornament Design:The students are designing ornaments and will be selling them to donate the funds raised to the SCHS.
• Jewelry-Making:The students are making jewelry to sell and we will donate the funds raised to the SCHS.

What are your thoughts? What fundraisers or donation drives are you most excited about?! We'd love to hear from you. 

Research Project

I recently did a research project on the peregrine falcon and found out that it was at one point in time on the endangered species list. Scientists went through great efforts to find the reasoning behind the dropping population and discovered that humans were using pesticides for crops and the prey the peregrine falcon eats was digesting these poisons. The poisons then made the eggs for the falcon not fertile and extremely soft, causing a dramatic decrease in population. Thanks to laws passed banning these poisons, the falcons' population has been on the rise and is off the endangered species list hopefully for good. I enjoyed this project because the peregrine falcon is my favorite bird of prey and I always am learning new things about animals.

-Tyler

A Sincere Thank You! :)

       Over the weekend, Project R.E.A.C.H. received some very generous donations from three wonderful women from NJSPCA's A Better Tomorrow for the Animals, a group that I work with to fundraise for animals in need. 

       Ms. Raymond, Mrs. Gambone, and Ms. Olson all donated craft kits, an art kit, baskets, two 2014-2015 calendars, and a set of animal stickers for us to use for fundraising activities. 

        As we are getting geared up for our upcoming holiday donation drives and fundraisers,  these awesome donations are certainly going to come in handy. Thank you so much for helping us to help the animals! 

                                                                                      -Mrs. Sears

Here are some "thank yous" from students "captains" from each of the groups! :)

Group 1: "Thank you for donating all of the kits!"-Keon

Group 2: "My group members and I would all like to thank you for the kits you donated. We will use them for raising money as Project R.E.A.C.H. to help the animals. Thank you so much!" From, Brett

Group 3: "Thank you for all of the kits! All of us in Project R.E.A.C.H. are very thankful and can't wait for the trip and to start making the crafts." From, Group 3 Captain Ronnie

Group 4:  "Group 4 wants to thank all of the people that donated materials to Daretown School to benefit our education. Thank you." -Group 4